Urban Forestry/Horticulture Maintenance Worker II at Town of Vienna – Vienna, Virginia
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About This Position
Join our team! Vienna is in Fairfax County, about 15 miles west of Washington, DC. Tree City USA recognized for over 23 years, Vienna is a vibrant community of over 16,000 population. Our Urban Forestry, Parks & Horticulture teams work hard to enhance the environment through preservation and care of wooded and open greenspace.
Urban Forestry/Horticulture Maintenance Worker II- Full Time with BenefitsSalary Range: $52,687-$80,000
Are you passionate about creating vibrant, green spaces and enhancing the beauty of a small-town community? We are seeking a dedicated Urban Forester and Horticulture Specialist to support our efforts in maintaining and expanding the Town’s tree canopy, maintaining diverse plant life, and fostering sustainable, eco-friendly landscapes. If you thrive in the outdoors and have enthusiasm for how plants can shape and enrich public spaces, we’d love to have you join our team!
A successful individual in this role will appreciate working primarily in the fields of arboriculture and horticulture, but also includes assisting the greater Parks & Recreation Department and the Town as a whole. The ideal person works well in a team environment as well as independently, with good communication skills, and an interest in learning multiple skills to become proficient in a variety of tasks that will be part of the regular work performed throughout the year. Work varies daily and seasonally based on need.
This position works under the general supervision of the Town Arborist or a designee, and performs skilled, semi-skilled and manual maintenance duties required to preserve or improve the safety, cleanliness, appearance, and appeal of the Town by maintaining, and improving the Town’s urban forest, landscapes, town facilities, parks, green spaces, and stream corridors.
Interested applicants should expect to work outdoors in various types of weather conditions, or indoors depending on individual work assignments. Work environment includes exposure to noise, dust and traffic with extended periods of standing, walking, bending, crouching, lifting heavy objects and operating equipment.
Professional growth or career progression is a priority. This role will help prepare someone for a career in Urban Forestry, grounds management, or other similar fields through progressive learning of complex skills.
Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM
Overtime as necessary and mandatory during emergency situations
All new employees must satisfactorily complete a background check. A conditional offer of employment may then be made contingent upon the successful completion of a physical exam that includes drug testing.
This is a Non-Exempt Position.
Maintains trees and shrubs – including installation, watering, pruning for health, safety, size control, aesthetics, infrastructure and traffic clearance, dismantling, stump removal, watering etc.
Occasionally works aloft using specialized arboricultural equipment, tools, and devices to complete general tree work operations. Which includes but not limited to using ropes, climbing saddles, gaffs (tree removal only), harness, rigging equipment, aerial lift devices.
Performs maintenance of landscape areas including landscape beds, hardscaped areas, seasonal display pots and planters, etc. Common activities include weeding, installation of plants, pruning, leaf removal, etc.
Maintains greenhouse; sows and establishes annuals plants, bulbs, and herbaceous perennials, graminoids, etc. for installation in landscaped areas and pots/planters.
This is an essential position among the Town’s work force and subject to work during inclement weather conditions or other designated emergency related to trees, snow, etc.
Handles and maintains plant material during off season and awaiting installation.
Maintains and repairs irrigation systems in landscape and park areas.
Participate in invasive plant control activities.
Familiar with common landscape trees and plants of the Mid-Atlantic region.
Assist Park Maintenance staff with routine and emergency work as needed.
Installs, fixes, repairs seasonal holiday displays.
Sets up and breaks down special Town events, such as festivals, concerts, and parades. Also staffs special events – some are mandatory, such as the Independence Day celebrations and the Halloween Parade; the remainder are optional.
Responds to snow emergencies by plowing and removing snow and applying ice melt at Town streets, facilities, and sidewalks.
Responds to tree related emergencies to clear and abate hazardous situations.
Maintains stream valleys and natural wooded areas.
Attends training classes, safety meetings and workshops. Maintains necessary certifications such as VDOT flagger, VDOT Basic Work Zone Safety, and attends OSHA 10 class.
Adheres to OSHA as well as Town rules and standards.
Erects and maintains traffic control devices for work on streets and rights-of-way including performing flagging duties.
Refers to and reviews instructions and information from supervisor and/or crew leader, equipment maintenance and repair manuals, progress reports, job evaluations, policy and procedure manuals, codes / laws / regulations, publications and reference texts, etc.
Performs and documents vehicle pre-trip inspections.
Operates and maintains a variety of vehicles, equipment, and tools to ensure safe and effective operation per manufactures recommendations. This includes dump trucks, pickup trucks, trailers, utility vehicles/skidsteer and attachments, tractors and attachments, woodchipper, aerial lift devices, arrow board, ATV’s, ladders, lawn mowers, snow blowers, water pump, backpack sprayer, pressure washer, generators, light towers, blowers and chainsaws, line trimmers, hedge shears, drills, auger, carpentry saws, reciprocating saws, rakes, shovels, pitchforks, picks, etc.
Routinely works with materials such as wood chips, leaf mulch, soil, lumber, gravel, stone dust, trash, brush, debris, ice melt, fertilizer, lime, pesticides, spill kit materials, etc.
Operates office equipment such as a phone, computer, printer, scanner, copier and basic software to enter time sheet and respond to emails, texts and phone calls etc.
Interacts and communicates with various groups and individuals such as direct supervisor, crew members, subordinates, upper management, contractors, vendors, and the general public.
Maintains positive relations with co-workers and customers.
Adapts nimbly to changing work environments and tasks.
Additional Duties:
Occasional weekend or after regular hours work for special events or volunteer events may be required.
Performs related work as assigned.
Communications Requirements:
Performs medium to heavy work that involves walking, standing, stooping, lifting, digging, pushing, raising objects, reaching, pulling, climbing up or down, lowering, throwing and also involves exerting between 20 to 75 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis and 75 up to approximately your own body weight of force on an occasional basis.
Requires High School diploma or GED equivalent.
Two years of landscape maintenance and/or horticulture maintenance, equipment operation, or other closely related experience.
Special Certifications and Licenses and training required:
Valid State driver’s license.
Virginia Registered Technician Pesticide Certification within one year of employment.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with both general tree work and horticultural work.
- Experience with pesticide applications.
- Experience with plant health care.
- Possess a pesticide certification as a Registered Technician or Commercial Applicator in categories 3A, 3B, 6, or 9.
- Experience climbing trees using safe arboriculture practices, adhering to OSHA and ANSI Standards.
- Experience using aerial lift devices safely.